Johnson Men’s Tennis Dominates IU East in 7-0 Home Victory
October 20, 2025
The Johnson University Royals men's tennis team delivered a commanding performance on Saturday afternoon, sweeping the IU East Red Wolves 7-0 in front of a spirited home crowd. A clutch doubles finish and a dominant singles showing highlighted the Royals' complete team effort as they extended their strong fall campaign.
The match began with tightly contested doubles play. The Royals got on the board quickly as Benjamin Barrios and Miguel Sanchez Loo took control early at the No. 3 position, powering their way to a convincing 6-1 win. IU East responded at No. 2, where Gabor Szabo and Levi Lubbers fell 3-6, evening the doubles tally at one apiece and leaving the deciding point in the hands of Johnson's top pair.
With the doubles point hanging in the balance, Lennart Kleeberg and Emanuel Casco rose to the occasion at No. 1 Doubles. In a high-pressure, back-and-forth match, the Royals' duo remained composed and aggressive, ultimately securing a crucial 6-4 win to clinch the doubles point for Johnson and give the team early momentum heading into singles play.
That momentum only grew stronger as the Royals swept all six singles matches in commanding fashion.
At the top of the lineup, Kleeberg set the tone with a clinical 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 1 singles, overwhelming his opponent with consistent depth and pace. Casco followed with a gritty performance at No. 2, grinding out two hard-fought sets to win 7-5, 7-5.
After dropping the first set 1-6 at No. 3 Singles, Barrios displayed resilience and tactical adjustments to rally for a 6-2 second set and then held his nerve in the deciding match tiebreak to win 10-7. At No. 4, Sanchez Loo delivered a flawless performance, blanking his opponent 6-0, 6-0.
Szabo, competing at No. 5, rebounded from a first-set loss to win 3-6, 6-2, 10-4, fighting through extended rallies to outlast his opponent in the match tiebreak. Lubbers closed out the day with a tight straight-sets win at No. 6, edging out a 7-6(4), 6-4 result that capped the Royals' sweep in front of their home supporters.
"This was one of our most complete matches of the season," said Head Coach Hale. "We faced pressure early in doubles, but our guys stayed focused and stepped up when it counted. That set the tone, and the energy carried right through singles. I'm proud of how every court competed today."
With the 7-0 win, the Royals wrap up their fall playing season a perfect 3-0 and will have to wait until next semester to begin competing again.